Some Thoughts

So I've had an immense amount of time to just think without any other input, partly because it's free! and I have beautiful scenery to look at, and I'm not being a super social butterfly since there aren't very many people I know here. This has accumulated lots of thoughts, some of which I'd like to share.

• All Subways smell the same, no matter where you are, it's always the same and it doesn't give me any feelings of "home" just feelings of "Subway" maybe it's a marketing scheme, anyone know?
• I still don't know what I want to do with my life and that's ok; I am thinking a lot about it though and I expect to have some sort of idea by the time I leave if I continue to have such thinking time...and nothing crazy happens :P
• There are two types of places where I will always feel comfortable - Grocery Stores and Book Stores
• I instantly feel more "at home" in a place after buying something from a grocery store
• I have no idea what qualifies a "chain restaurant" and as much as I want to support local businesses all the time, sometimes I just can't tell
• Hot chocolate foam tastes better here, something about the TEXTURE? I don't even know but it's delicious!
• Humidity is a bitch. We are not friends.
• However, leaving bread out is damned convenient, and things are much less likely to go stale
• However However; crackers go soft, which is weird
• My hair is crazy. And it doesn't dry in a normal amount of time, also curls, so many curls
• I love writing letters, the money I spend on sending them is barely a second thought to me because I like it so much (if you want me to write you a letter, make sure I have your address cuz I TOTALLY WILL)
• My ear for varieties of accents is completely gone. It's become very polar: Accent, no accent. Whoever is speaking might be Australian, Kiwi, British, Irish, etc. I can't really hear a difference anymore, I'm hoping it comes back with more distinct variation :P
• I've been watching enough TV and listening to people that I'm picking up some phrases/words; my favorite is "being keen" about something and words for food (peppers are called capsicum here)
• I'm listening to a lot less music than I thought I would be listening to in favor of being aware of the noises around me
• I'm quite a competent traveler - especially compared to other people my age (Thanks Muz and Daz)
• I still don't like smartphones, even if mine does help me to not be lost
• Making lists helps me feel accomplished, even if I'm doing next to nothing all day
• Books are expensive here, it makes me sad
• I am also reading more on my tablet
• "Classics" are free, so I am reading more of them
• I still have trouble with some of the language involved with them
• As much as I find them a LOT more interesting, I still have a low time tolerance for museums
• I have no idea what time it is anywhere anymore because Daylight Savings is dumb (or brilliant, depending)

Just a quick update of things which maybe haven't been made so clear in the quest updates:

• I'm playing twice a week with a brass band which is both very fun and quite difficult because I'm still figuring out where the bass trombone fits in the group, EVERYTHING is new though which is quite exciting!
• My plan is to stay in Wellington until January at which point I think I'm going to go somewhere and pick fruits of some variety, this may not happen, we shall see
• I am going to try my hardest to give a quest update every...Tuesday here which (in general) is Wednesday for the rest of you and I'll try and give a more "standard" update from me maybe every two weeks or so

I'd love to hear from you! leave a comment! send me an e-mail! request a letter! (write one back...)

Happily,

Renee

THIS IS WHERE I AM!!! It's so PRETTY!!!!!